Westland Meat Suspension by USDA Affects Thousands of School Children

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has shut down the operation of Chino, California Westland Meat Company indefinitely. "Westland Meat Company will not be allowed to operate until written corrective actions are submitted and verified by FSIS to ensure that animals are humanely handled," according to the press release from Undersecretary Dr. Richard Raymond.

An advisory was sent out by the USDA on January 30 warning public agencies that the suspension was coming, and sent hamburger chains and dozens of school districts on the West coast scrambling for a different supplier.

"I am very saddened to hear about the allegations of animal abuse at Westland," said California State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell. "I want to assure every parent whose child is on the school lunch program that the California Department of Education will not tolerate anything that threatens the safety of food given to their children."

The shutdown was caused when a videotape surfaced, taken by an employee at the plant showing that animals were being brutalized at the facility while in holding. The conditions at the plant were originally brought to the attention of the USDA by the American Humane Society in early January 2008.

"Words cannot accurately express how shocked and horrified I was at the depictions contained on the video that was taken by an individual who worked at our facility from October 3 thru November 14, 2007," appeared on Westland Meat's web site February 3 in a letter from company president Steve Mendell. The letter goes on to admit the presence of the videotape, and Mendell's letter went on to reassure the public that "We have taken swift action regarding the two employees identified on the video and have already implemented aggressive measures to ensure all employees follow our humane handling policies and procedures."

The USDA has "indefinitely suspended" Westland Meat from participating as a supplier of a Federal food programs, specifically the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. The suspension has impacted several states, and Westland was one of the primary suppliers of meat for the Hawiian school system, which has also suspended all use of Westland's products until the cloud over the company's operation is cleared.

Westland Meat, founded in 1990, was just two years ago lauded by the USDA as the "Supplier of the Year" for 2004-2005 for the National School Lunch Program.